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Bringing Together Disparate Data Sets Can Make Them More Useful

Systems connected: Transportation, disability services, public works

A project out of Seattle called AccessMap — which will soon expand to other cities — is demonstrating what can happen when different data sets are brought together. The project takes information about sidewalk elevation, curb ramps, construction projects and more to show a person with disabilities how to get around town.

That can be difficult to do. People with disabilities have to think about things others don’t when navigating a city — so much so that government-provided data sets aren’t enough to fill out the map completely. The project’s organizers are turning to crowdsourcing to help fill in the blanks on oft-ignored details like which sidewalks are slowly buckling and breaking as tree roots force their way up from below.

Together, all that information could make movement a lot easier for both residents and visitors with disabilities.

Ben Miller is the associate editor of data and business for Government Technology. His reporting experience includes breaking news, business, community features and technical subjects. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, and lives in Sacramento, Calif.